President Jair Bolsonaro, Liberal Party (PL) slammed down the hammer and decided that he will not pass the presidential ribbon to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Labour Party (PT) at the inauguration ceremony and transition on January 1, 2023. The current chief executive said to allies that he is "100% resolute" in the decision.
With Bolsonaro's refusal, the person responsible for the delivery would be Vice President Hamilton Mourão (Republicans). He is also the elected senator in Rio Grande do Sul, who has already scorned at the possibility of carrying out this formality. "The Presidential Transition is from the president who goes out to the incoming president. I'm not the president. I can't put that sash on, take it off and deliver," Mourão said in an interview with a newspaper called ‘Valor Econômico’ (Economic Value) which was published last Wednesday.
A presidential sash commonly known as ribbon is a cloth worn by presidents of many nations in the world. Commonly known as a colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, either draping from one shoulder to the opposing hip and back up, or else running around the waist. Such sashes are worn by presidents in Africa, Asia, Europe and, most notably, in Latin America’s Brazil.
The sash is an important symbol of the continuity of the presidency, and is only worn by the president. Its value as a symbol of the office of the head of state can be compared to that of a crown in monarchies. When the president leaves office, he or she formally presents the sash to his or her successor as part of the official inauguration ceremony.
This is typical cumbersomeness from Bolsonaro who has a long history of defiance towards anyone who doesn’t fit into his egocentric world order. This type of attitude is awful for progressiveness in a world where we have already suffered anarchy from a long list of tyrants. As individuals we need to work together to make the world a better place. That means Bolsonaro should stand down, and take it like a man.
His supporters see things differently in that Lula was elected by fraud, and therefore strongly believe the process as a conspiracy. And this might come down to Bolsonaro’s outspoken attacks at others. Take for example the supreme court (STF) where magistrates defend the democracy which upsets him and his view in the way the country should be driven.
He says these magistrates are elected during each president’s term in office, so it ends up more judges from the left i.e., Labour Party because they have been elected more times. He doesn't like it. Bolsonaro encourages division and gets those conspiracy theorists on his side to cause havoc to the system, one which he and his followers want to change.
He has made countless divisive statements about torture, democracy, women, gay people but his supporters are happy to say, ‘That’s just what he says, and that when you know him you realize that just isn’t true. He’s a kind family man who wants the best for the nation.’
The conspiracy theory and fraud election has absolutely no foundation according to the New York Times that has researched hours of footage from social media and videos of Bolsonaro over the year leading up to the election.
Lula, clearly offended by such childish disposition said, “Bolsonaro should have the humility to put the presidential band around my neck".
Take care!
Prof. Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Scorned (adj) despised, disdained, belittles, rejected, rebuffed
Cumbersomeness (n) = unwieldiness, awkwardness, ungainliness
Draping (v) = covering, wrapping, decorating, dressing
i.e. = Latin abbreviation for, 'in other words'